CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Diversity seeks proposals for its Diversity Research Grant program. Applications may address any diversity topic, including the recruitment and promotion of diverse individuals within the profession or the provision of library services to diverse populations, which addresses critical gaps in the knowledge of diversity issues within library and information science.

The application deadline is May 26, 2015. Applicants must be current ALA members.

CHICAGO — Written by experts on the subject and addressed to teen book buyers, “Top 250 LGBTQ Books for Teens,” identifies titles that address the sensitive and important topics of coming out, being out and the search for community. Spotlighting the best gay, lesbian, bi, transgender and questioning books written for teens, Michael Cart and Christine A.

CHICAGO — Carolyn Garnes, founder and CEO of Aunt Lil’s Reading Room, is the 2015 recipient of the Zora Neale Hurston Award, an annual achievement award administered by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association and sponsored by HarperCollins.

CHICAGO — The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has been awarded the 2014 Bridge to Understanding Award for their Día Family Book Club Program. ALSC President Ellen Riordan will accept this award from the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) during the USBBY Gathering from 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30, 2015 at the Hilton Chicago – Williford A.

CHICAGO — The ALA Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion was created in the spring of 2014 by then ALA President Barbara Stripling.

The Task Force is currently in the information-gathering phase. To aid with information gathering, it has launched a series of short surveys to be conducted at times to coincide with the ALA Midwinter Meetings and Annual Conferences through 2016. These surveys are designed to help understand the culture of the association, the profession and our communities with respect to equity, diversity and inclusion.

CHICAGO — The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, has released new Building STEAM with Día book lists for children from birth to 8th grade.

CHICAGO — The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), in collaboration with the Children’s Book Council (CBC), will be hosting a Day of Diversity: Dialogue and Action in Children’s Literature and Library Program on Jan. 30, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois.

CHICAGO — Gerald Holmes, reference librarian and diversity coordinator, University Libraries, University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), has been named the 2014 Achievement in Library Diversity Research honoree. As part of its ongoing support of the propagation of library-based diversity research, the ALA Council Committee on Diversity and the ALA Office for Diversity are pleased to recognize him for his contributions to the profession and his promotion of diversity within it. The Office for Diversity began designating this honor in 2004.

CHICAGO — On Wednesday, Nov. 19, author Daniel Handler served as the host of the 2014 National Book Awards. Known for his quick wit and bold presentations, Handler pushed the envelope too far. Shortly after the announcement of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature to author Jacqueline Woodson, for her book “Brown Girl Dreaming,” Handler’s poor attempt to joke with the crowd by folding in African-American stereotypes proved ill-fated.

ALA President Courtney Young released the following statement in response to Handler’s remarks.